Olivenhain, California

Olivenhain
—  Unincorporated community  —
Olivenhain Location within the state of California
Coordinates: 33°02′46″N 117°14′05″W / 33.04611°N 117.23472°W / 33.04611; -117.23472Coordinates: 33°02′46″N 117°14′05″W / 33.04611°N 117.23472°W / 33.04611; -117.23472
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Diego
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
– Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID

Olivenhain is a rural community located in North County, San Diego, California is the east most portion of the coastal town of Encinitas and borders the west portion of Rancho Santa Fe.

View of the Pacific Ocean from Olivenhain, CA.

Hot air balloons are a common site during late afternoons and dusk over Olivenhain, CA.

The Olivenhain Meeting Hall.

The community of Olivenhain is primarily upscale single family custom homes with relatively large lots, and notably has only a single traffic signal. As a result, traffic is quite slow and heavy through much of the day, particularly in the afternoons.

Minimum lot sizes are key to Olivenhain's appeal, with lots ranging from 0.5 acres (2,000 m²) to 5 acres (20,000 m²). The topography tends to be rolling, and most streets are small and winding through the hills. Although it is considered to be its "own little town", Olivenhain Colony is part of the 92024 Encinitas zip code.

The town is located on the Rancho Las Encinitas Mexican land grant, and was settled by a German colony in the 1890s. The name Olivenhain is from the German and means "small forest where olive trees grow".^[1] The German settlers built the meeting hall which still stands. It is used today for community functions such as the annual Oktoberfest, Haunted House, summer movie series, craft fairs and a variety of civic group meetings. Residents of Olivenhain may schedule the Meeting Hall and grounds for private functions; it is a popular wedding site.^[2]

Olivenhain has a vast network of recreational trails, used by [[walkers] and equestrians. Many homes have horse facilities, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc. A common site in the area during late afternoons and dusk are hot air balloons.

Olivenhain has a darker sky than coastal San Diego towns such as Encinitas and Solana Beach due to its "Dark Sky Policy" which limits lights from street lights, tennis courts, and other forms of light pollution.

Education

Olivenhain students attend the Encinitas Union School District and the San Dieguito Union High School District. Elementary students attend Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary, then Diegueno Junior High School. Public High School students attend La Costa Canyon High School or San Dieguito High School Academy. There also are several private schools nearby.

References

1. ^ Richard Bumann, 1981, Colony Olivenhain, ISBN 978-0960711208
2. ^ Colony Olivenhain